Air France has extended the service of its final four Airbus A318s, which were originally scheduled to retire on November 8. The aircraft will now continue flying routes across France and Europe from Paris Charles de Gaulle until March 27, 2027.
Once retired, the A318 will become the first Airbus model to disappear from scheduled passenger service. Airbus built only 80 A318s, making it one of the rarest members of the A320 family.
The A318 struggled commercially because it carried fewer passengers than the A320 while offering only limited fuel savings. Air France is replacing its A318s and A319s with A220-300s, which can carry more passengers while using significantly less fuel per seat.